The Hairstyles Guests Have Actually Worn to Royal Weddings

The royal wedding is just weeks away (May 19, y'all), so it's safe to assume that at least a few of the guests in attendance have started planning what they'll be wearing—and how they'll be styling their hair—for the big day. And because I love a good trip down memory lane, I've combed through images of past royal shindigs to find 12 hairstyles guests have actually worn. Won't you walk with me?

Who would the Queen be if she deviated from her iconic coiffed and curled bob (seen here at her son Prince Edward's wedding in 1999)? Okay, she'd still be the Queen, but with definitively less elegant hair.

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2Brushed-Out Curls

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Before Kate Middleton was the official Duchess of Cambridge, she was just known as the stylish, feathered fascinator–donning girlfriend of Prince William, who wore soft, natural curls to the wedding of Laura Parker Bowles (the Duchess of Cornwall's daughter) in 2006.

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3Mini-Buns

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Princess Beatrice of York took a relaxed approach to her hair for Prince William and Kate Middletons's 2011 nuptials, sweeping it into a half-up bun. Her skyscraper hat, however, was a work of literal art.

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4Curled-Back Bobs

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Camila, Duchess of Cornwall, opted for a Farah Fawcett–inspired bob (plus a ridiculously cool leaf headpiece) when she attended the 2008 wedding of Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne.

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5Classic Blowout

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When her daughter Pippa got married in 2017, Carole Middleton blew out her naturally straight hair for an ultra-voluminous finish.

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6Sleek Ponytails

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Please behold queen (lower-case) Victoria Beckham, pregnant, with a very joyful David Beckham at the wedding of Prince William and Duchess Kate. The hairstyles: sleek and glossy, both with Victoria's wet-look ponytail and David's slick comb over.

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7Soft, Smooth Waves

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Lady Kitty Spencer (niece of Princess Diana) left her layered blonde hair loose and natural for the wedding of her cousin Emily McCorquodale, daughter of Diana's older sister, in 2012.

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8Side-Swept Chignons

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For the 2011 wedding of Zara Phillips (Princess Anne's daughter), actress Katherine Kelly pinned her long waves into a soft, voluminous chignon.

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9Undone Curls

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For the 2013 wedding of Lady Laura Marsham (daughter of The Earl of Romney), Pippa Middleton played up her natural texture with raked-through curls.

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10Twisted Upos

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Pre-royalty, Kate Middleton wore her hair soft and loose, but since becoming a duchess—like here, during sister Pippa's wedding—she's often opted for sleek, intricate chignons (I'm guessing thanks to her newfound team of hairstylists).

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11Stick-Straight Lengths

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Also at Zara Phillips' wedding was singer Una Healy, who channeled major early aughts vibes when she flat-ironed her waist-length hair.